The present invention relates generally to optical transceiver modules, and more particularly, to a transceiver module capable of operating at variable voltage levels.
Removable serial transceiver modules, such as GBICs, are designed to provide gigabaud capability for Fibre Channel (FC) and other protocols that use similar optical fiber links. In general terms, the GBIC provides an interface between a serial duplex optical interface, such as an FC port, and a serial duplex electrical device such as a serializer/deserializer (SERDES). The electrical connector specified for a GBIC is a 20-pin Single Connector Attachment (SCA-20), which is a male ribbon style connector. GBICs also exist to connect to connect electrical cables to SERDES devices. Therefore a transceiver module can be optical/electrical or electrical/electrical.
GBICs are designed to be xe2x80x9chot-pluggable,xe2x80x9d meaning the host system can remain powered on during installation of a GBIC. More detailed information of the GBIC is provided in the xe2x80x9cSFF Committee Proposed Specification for GBIC (Gigabit Interface Converter),xe2x80x9d Revision 5.5, dated Sep. 27, 2000, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Transceiver modules are designed to operate at a set supply voltage level within an acceptable tolerance. In recent years, however, desired supply voltage levels for transceiver modules, such as the GBIC, are changing. For example, a conventional GBIC typically operates at a supply voltage level of 5 volts, with up to 10% tolerance.
Due to the demand for a continued increase in operating speed, power efficiency, lower power dissipation, and smaller component size, supply voltage levels for transceiver modules are decreasing. For example, some current supply voltage levels are 3.3 volts and 2.5 volts. Of course, additional supply voltage levels and ranges are possible and likely to be developed. Furthermore, it is even possible that some transceiver modules are designed to operate at higher supply voltage levels.
In order to accommodate these various supply voltage levels, a manufacturer of a transceiver module must know beforehand the desired supply voltage level for a device in order to design the device accordingly. This requires a supplier of transceiver modules to either have multiple designs in stock for each supply voltage level, or design a transceiver module for each unique order of transceiver modules. This process is costly, inefficient, and slows production time.
It would be far more cost effective, efficient, and decrease production time to have a transceiver module that can operate at various supply voltage levels without having to be modified. In this manner, only one type of transceiver module would need to be produced or held in stock by a supplier in order to accommodate the various supply voltage level demands by customers of transceiver modules.
An object of the present invention is to provide a single transceiver module that can operate at various supply voltage levels without being modified.
In that regard, a transceiver module is provided comprising a housing having a first opening at a first end and a second opening at a second end; a printed circuit board mounted within the housing; an electrical connector on the printed circuit board at the first end of the optoelectronic transceiver module, the electrical connector having an insulative mating surface within the first opening and including a first side with electrical contacts in an area oriented substantially parallel to the first side of the insulative mating surface, wherein the electrical contacts slidingly engage a circuit card connector of a host receptacle in order to quickly install and remove the optoelectronic transceiver module from within the host receptacle; an optical assembly connected to the printed circuit board at the second end of the optoelectronic transceiver module, the optical assembly including a transmitting optical subassembly and a receiving optical subassembly, the second opening allowing the optical assembly to communicate outside of the housing in order for the optical assembly to be coupled with a duplex fiber optic plug providing for bi-directional data transmission over an optical data link; and a voltage converter circuit within the housing having a predetermined internal output voltage consistent with a internal operating voltage of the transceiver module, wherein an external supply voltage varying within a predetermined range received by the voltage converter is converted to the predetermined internal operating voltage of the transceiver module, thereby enabling the transceiver module to operate properly at various external supply voltages.